Viswanathan Anand and Peter Leko, ended their third round clash in quick draw in just 24 moves from Petroff game in the Linares 2005 Super GM Chess Tournament at Hotel Annibal. Anand, the NIIT Brand Ambassador, now has 1.5 points from two games, while Garry Kasparov, who took advantage of Francisco Vallejo Pons suspect play to take a full point, was leading with two points from three games.
Anand's next game is against Rustam Kasimdzhanov and the Indian ace has white pieces. Kasparov will have a rest day in fourth round.
On a day when none of the three games went beyond 30 moves, the third game saw Rusam Kasimdzhanov and Michael Adams draw in 27 moves of a Ruy Lopez Marshall attack, just after it had gone beyond the theoretical stage.
Leko and Anand had a theoretical skirmish in the Petroff, fast becoming a common opening at elite events. It ended with a perpetual check.
The Leko-Anand game was different many usual Petroff games, as they opted for a more exciting variation. Anand tried his exchange sacrifice mode of play and then when Leko also did not have a clear advantage with white, the game veered towards a perpetual which Anand was not to averse about considering he had black.
In the last game to finish Kasparov played down a surprising line in the Queen's Gambit Accepted. Vallejo deviated from the game Anand played against Karpov once and then landed in difficulties, positionally and with the clock. Kasparov added to the problems and then fighting time pressure Vallejo blundered on move 27 and resigned a couple of moves later.
Topalov had the rest day.
Pairings for Round 4: Anand v Kasimdzhanov; Topalov v Leko; Adams v Vallejo Pons, Francisco. Free Day: Kasparov
Results of Round 3: Leko drew with Anand; Kasimdzhanov drew with Adams; Vallejo Pons lost to Kasparov.
Standings after Round 3: 1. Kasparov 2.0/3; 2. Anand 1.5/2; 3. Leko, and Kasimdzhanov 1.5/3; 5. Topalov 1.0/2; 6. Adams 1.0/3; 7. Vallejo Pons 0.5/2.